


Night terrors and Fights

by ArtemisKane



Series: Trials and Tribulations of Artemis Kane and the Gangsey. [15]
Category: Raven Cycle - Maggie Stiefvater
Genre: Angst, Blood, F/M, Fighting, Fluff, Gore, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Multi, Polyamory Relationship Communication
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-16
Updated: 2020-08-16
Packaged: 2021-03-05 19:13:29
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,013
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25930384
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ArtemisKane/pseuds/ArtemisKane
Summary: I slow to a walk, running my hands along the tree trunks as I approach the house and look up at the night sky. But suddenly, I stop, the hairs at the back of my neck standing on end.Something is wrong.Everything is too quiet, too still, too dark.Tch tch tch
Relationships: Adam Parrish/Original Female Character(s), Richard Gansey III & Ronan Lynch & Adam Parrish & Blue Sargent & Original Female Character(s), Richard Gansey III/Adam Parrish, Richard Gansey III/Adam Parrish/Original Female Character(s), Richard Gansey III/Original Female Character(s)
Series: Trials and Tribulations of Artemis Kane and the Gangsey. [15]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1814629





	Night terrors and Fights

**Author's Note:**

> Hello, everyone!!
> 
> Artemis Kane is a feisty, loving, analytical, self-sacrificing Omega Werewolf.
> 
> This story takes place 2 weeks after Adam, Gansey, and Artemis become a couple. I wanted to write about Ronan and Artemis’s friendship, and also shed light on a certain aspect of and potential problems that can be overcome with communication and dedication in a polyamory relationship.
> 
> Also, night terrors!
> 
> Enjoy!!

“Artemis-“

“Don’t touch me, Adam!”

“I wasn’t going to!”

“Please don’t go-“

“Stop, Gansey, just stop-“

“Artemis, this isn’t the way to solve this-“

“Don’t you think I fucking know that, Gansey? But I can’t be here right now, I have to go.”

“Artemis-“

“I said I have to go.”

And with the sound of the door to Monmouth crashing behind me, I run from my problems, and the two beautifully frustrating boys back there.

Running from the feeling of worthlessness. Running from the fear, the anxiety, the anger. 

Running...always running...

I know I should turn around and go back to them, but I also know that I’m still way too angry, and I really don’t wanna say something that I’ll regret.

So more running it is.

I eventually end up at the Barns, subconsciously seeking Ronan’s wild version of comfort.

I slow to a walk, running my hands along the tree trunks as I approach the house and look up at the night sky. But suddenly, I stop, the hairs at the back of my neck standing on end.

Something is wrong.

Everything is too quiet, too still, too dark.

Tch tch tch

I feel a chill run down my spine.

That sound...that is not natural...

Tch tch tch

It sounds close, but I still can’t see it. 

Then, with my stomach dropping into a bottomless pit and my heart feeling like it stopped beating, I do.

I don’t think I would’ve been able to even tell it was there if I hadn’t noticed the faintly glowing yellow eyes, watching me.

Now that I focus, I can make out it’s pitch black, leathery, amorphous form. It seems to at once be real, and defy the laws of reality at the same time. It melts into the darkness of the night, only it’s horrid beady eyes recognizable.

Tch tch tch

It’s closer, how did it get so close so fast?

I can’t move, I can’t think, all I hear is-

Tch tch tch

I’m gonna die, and the last thing I did was walk out on Adam and Gansey.

Move! Move!

Something comes rushing out of the bushes, colliding with the horrible reality bending thing of horror, sending them both to the ground.

A colourful string of swears clues me in to what — who — has just body slammed the amorphous shape to the ground.

The smell of blood fills the air.

This jolts me out of the fear that paralyzed me. I’m not about to stand by terrified while my friend is mauled.

I rush over, claws out and fangs extended, ready to tear whatever the hell this thing is apart.

I see one of its multiple wrong beaks open and release an unearthly shriek.

I move to grapple it along side Ronan, when suddenly said boy is being flung into me, me barely managing to catch him before a pair of razor sharp claws slash at my face.

I stifle a cry of pain, already feeling my skin healing rapidly, but the agonizing throb is still potent.

I steady Ronan, and we both charge at it, Ronan going for its legs, me lunging for its throat.

It’s fast though, really fast.

I feel claws scrape across my back, and I hear Ronan make a cut off sound of agony as this thing attempts to tear us apart.

In a flurry of pounding hearts, jagged breathing, damp earth, painful cuts, rough blows, and stifled screams, Ronan and I finally manage to pin the thing down, and I rip it’s throat out while Ronan uses a near by rock to cave it’s head in.

The horror shudders and twitches unnaturally, until eventually it lays limp, and dead.

I pant, hard, trying to still the rapid thumping of my heart.

“What,” I gasp out, “the fuck was that?”

“My night terror.” Ronan growls out, breathing hard, and stomping back to the house.

After giving the thing a final horrified shuddering look, I follow Ronan.

In the light of the kitchen, I finally get a good look at him.

He has a deep cut down the inside of his forearm, a shallow slash across his forehead, a bruised collarbone, and a couple shallow slashes up his sides. His knuckles are bruised and bloody, and he has a split lip.

He’s wetting a towel and dabbing at the slowly coagulating blood.

“Where’s your first-aid kit?” I ask, trying not to think about the drying blood and night terror gunk all over me.

Ronan’s gaze snaps up to mine, studying me a moment, before his head jerks to one of the cabinets, and then he’s looking back down at his bleeding forearm.

I grab the kit, and head over to him. He shoots me a reproachful glare, and I just glare right back. He eventually relents begrudgingly with a huff, extending his torn up forearm so that I can patch it up.

After a couple moments of the smell of disinfectant, faint hissing, and bandages being wrapped, I put the kit back and sit down heavily on one of the dining chairs.

Running...always running...

“Why are you here?”

I look up to see Ronan leaning against the counter, looking at me intensely.

“What I can’t just wanna visit my friend?” I laugh, but it comes out strained and empty.

He raises a sharp eyebrow. I sigh.

“Fine,” I mutter, “Adam, Gansey, and I got into a fight, and I wanted to clear my head, so I came here.”

“You came here to clear your head.” He states in a flat tone, clearly judging me.

“Screw you.” I grumble.

I see him smirk, before he plants himself into the chair opposite mine.

“Talk.” His eyes are serious, arms crossed.

I take a deep breath, fighting the empty feeling threatening to swallow me. “As you know, the three of us have been dating for around two weeks now, and we’re still working out the kinks. And today, Gansey and I were...making out...and then Adam comes home from work and sees us, and just flips out.” I feel old anger flare slightly in my gut, but I push it down, knowing it’s not gonna do me any good. “He starts going on about how it’s not fair that Gansey’s spending all his time with me and that he doesn’t, or that I’m spending all my time with Gansey and not him, and then Gansey points out that Adam is busy working, which makes Adam grill him about Gansey’s privilege, and then I’m asking if Adam is seriously jealous about his own boyfriend and girlfriend spending time together, which makes him flip out on me about how he thinks we both don’t actually care for him, which in turn makes Gansey explode about how ridiculous that is, and then Adam is saying how he’s right and we both know it, and I can’t take it anymore, so I leave.”

My fists are clenched, and I squeeze my eyes shut, wishing the memory of our fight wasn’t so burned into the back of my eyelids.

“Adam’s always been like that.” Ronan starts slowly. “His parents...they are fucking assholes who never gave him love, and even though Parrish is better now, he still sometimes gets like that...insecure.”

I nod, feeling guilt eat at me even more.

“And Dick,” Ronan huffs out a humourless laugh, “he always gives so much or says too much, and doesn’t understand when he’s going too far. He’s gotten better too, but he can be pretty oblivious most of the time.”

I crack a small smile. “Yeah...I know...”. I wish once more that I had never run off to begin with. 

The deed was done though, no use crying over split milk.

Now I gotta fix it.

But first...

“Ronan,” I start, and he hums in response, “you dream here instead of at Monmouth cause you don’t want anyone getting hurt, right?”

He tenses, eyes defensive.

“If I bring one of my night terrors back, or something worse, and it hurts one of you, that’s on me.” He grits out, “Even though the dreaming is mine, you’re all in the blast zone. So I dream here, where I’m the only one my nightmares can hurt.”

I regard him a moment, this broken boy who has such a big heart.

I lean forward and fix Ronan with a firm look.

“Ronan, listen to me,” his gaze stays put on the table, but he nods a little, “you are not alone. Each of us cares so much about you, and it would kill us a lot more for you to get hurt trying to protect us.” He looks up, about to give a snarky remark, but I keep talking. “I’m not asking you to purposefully put anyone in danger, all I’m saying is that you have my phone number, so if you ever get over your hatred for using your phone, call me if you ever need anything, ok? Cause I don’t mind tearing apart another one of those things if it means being able to lend you a helping hand.”

We stare at each other a long moment, my gaze certain and steady, and his cautious and searching. I guess he eventually sees what he’s looking for, because all he does is nod before telling me to, and I quote, “Get the fuck back to your boyfriends and fix things.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

When I open the creaky door to Monmouth, it’s to faint murmuring from the living room area coming to a complete stop.

Both Adam and Gansey regard me with looks of hopeful surprise.

“You’re back.” Adam states belatedly, looking like hell.

“Yeah, I am.” I murmur, “I’m sorry for running off like that.”

“What happened? You’re covered in blood!” Gansey exclaims, both of them standing up and making as if to rush over, but I hold up a hand to stop them, needing a moment to compose myself further.

“I went to the Barns. Ronan pulled out a night terror.” I explain.

They both kinda nod.

“Again,” I continue, the guilty feeling in the pit of my stomach stabbing uncomfortably, “I’m really sorry for leaving. I needed to clear my head, but it wasn’t the right thing to do, and I’m sorry.

Gansey waves a dismissive hand and says in a flippant voice that poorly disguises how distraught he actually is, “No need, it’s all splendid.”

I refrain from huffing at that, knowing that he’s hiding behind a mask of politeness, so instead I just walk over to where they’re both on the couch, pulling a chair up and sitting down in front of them.

“So...” I start, not really knowing where I’m going with this.

“I’m sorry.” Adam interrupts, voice strained. “I shouldn’t have reacted that way, and I’m really sorry to both of you.” 

Gansey’s eyes look sad, but he doesn’t say anything. I get the feeling that they were talking about this while I was gone.

I reach over and tentatively take their hands, squeezing and receiving a squeeze in return.

“I feel I can speak for both Artemis and I,” Gansey shoots me a quick look, to which I nod before he continues, “when I say that we are immeasurably sorry as well, Adam. We should have at least let you know, it wasn’t right to do something without you and not at least give you the chance to acknowledge it.”

“We’re sorry for not understanding.” I say, “You are more than wanted and an intrinsic part of this trio, please forgive us for making you feel like you weren’t.”

Adam nods, clearing his throat.

“Sorry for being such an asshole.” He mumbles out.

“Me too.” Gansey mutters.

“And me.” I say, sighing slightly.

Adam chuckles humourlessly.

“We really gotta work on our communication.” He states.

“And we will,” I say firmly, looking at both of my boys intently, and seeing the same love and care reflected in their eyes, “together.”

“Together.” Gansey nods, eyes alight with affection and determination.

“Together.” Adam breaths out, faint smile on his face.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading!! As always, constructive criticisms is much appreciated!!


End file.
